Hydraulic machine



HYDRAULIC MACHINE FIG. 2

JNVENTOR. v 523 vwis/enum R FALK AGENT Nov. 27, 1956 v w. P. FALK2,771,860

HYDRAULIC MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1951 :s sheets-sheet 2 A AGE/vr Nov.27, 1956 w. P. FALK HYDRAULIC MACHINE:

415 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 21; 1951 60a 609 f 605/ 6&4

' IN VEN TOR. WERNER R FA'LK M f 79d AGENT HYDRAULIC MACHINE Werner P.Falk, Jackson Heights, N. Y.

Application August 21, 1951, Serial No. 242,905

Claims priority, application Brazil 'August 22, 195i) 10 Claims. (Cl.123--16) My invention relates to a hydraulic machine operable as failuid pump or compressorY or yas an internal-combustion engine.

The general object of the present inventiouis to provide a hydraulicengine of the rotary type, i. e. a machine wherein `the working mediumeither acts upon or'is -acted upon by a rotor without the intermediaryofconventional reciprocating .pistons [and crank shafts, which is of-greater efficiency than similar m-achines hitherto proposed and wherein:friction and wear are greatly reduced.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for moreeffectively lubricating and cooling a machine of the character referredto.

A more particular object of my invention is to.' provide ahigh-lyeicient multi-stage uid'pump in which the several stages are combinedina single rotor;

It is also' an object of the instant invention ltoprovide a machine ofthe .character described which i-s Iadapt/ed to be used, with minormodifications, eitherna'sl a .pump of substantially constant deliverynate or' pressure or as a motor with substantially const-ant'torque.

The above `and other objects, which wi-ll subsequently appear, larerealized in .accordance with the invention' by the provision, incombination with .a housingiand arotor in said housing having one ormore chambers', of'ia fluid piston movable in each chamber in radialdirection with respect to the rotor axis, such radial movement -beingdue to the cam shape of the housing (which may be noncircuiar, orcircular Ibut eccentric with respect tothe rotor axis) @and to thecentrifugal force of the moving rotorV Atending Vto displace the uidoutwardly. The fluid-constituting the p-iston, which advantageously isconstituted by a liquid also serving as a lubricant and/or coolant, isin direct contact with a second fluid, representing the working medium,which in the case of la' pump lis drawn in through suitable intake portsand expelled throng-h suit- -able outlet ports by the reciprocatingmotion of the piston flu-id. In the 4case of a motor the working fluid,constituted by a combustible mixture (or air in the case of a dieselengine), lis aspirated, ycompressed .and expelled bythe fluid pistonduring the non-working strokes of an operating cycle land is explodedduring :a workin-g stroke, thereby acting upon sa-id piston `to causethe uid thereof to exert .pressure upon the chamber walls -with .aperipheral component imparting rotary movement to the rot-or. Theconstancy of the pump output or of the motor torque can be enhanced -byincreasing the number of piston' chambers in the rotor; if this numberiseven and greater than two, then the .chambers can -be'so arranged as tobalance the radial forces acting upon the rotor shaft, thus' reducingwear and stress. By intercala-ting a plurality of sets of :chambers ofdifferent sizes it ispossible -to obtain a multi-stage pump orcompressor operating-in the same manner as the simple one-stage pumpdescribed above.

The invention will be better understood from'the tollowing descriptionofy certain embodiments", reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing'inwhieh':

Fig. l is a cross sectionthroughtheihousingfand'Iparts States Patent 0"ice 2;' of"ftl1e.rotorv of an internal. combustion engine representinga-rst' embodiment ofthe invention;

Fig. 3`isa sectionfthrough the housing and parts of the rotor of a pumpor compressor according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a section ontheline4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig.- 5 is `a sefctionfthrough the housing of v.another form ofcompressor embodying the invent-ion; and

6 is a section on the line 6-6y of Fig. 5.

Throughout the drawing, corresponding elements in the severalembodiments have been indicated by similar reference numerals differing,only in their hundreds digit.

il-Tigs. 1 and 2 show an internal-.combustion engine. 500 adapted toaspira-te Athrough -the inlet portv 511 a motive fluid, such .as air oria combustible mixture, which after compression in one of the chambers505'is brought to explosion by suitable means here shown 'by way ofexampleas'a -f-uel injection nozzle 531 positioned substantially at apoint of maximum compression. The spent gases yare expelled via=exhiaustport 5112.v It will be obvious that the. nozzle 53.1 may. |be replaced-by other explosive-promoting. means,.such asa spark plug. Ports S11l'and 512 are connected, respectively, to ducts '509 and'510 bothprovided in right-hand end plate 502:1 (asviewed in. Fig. 2) which alsocarries the fuel injector 53d, The ducts communicate with-the chambers505 by Way ofI .apertures 508", 508, respectively, provided instationary pack-ing disk 5210 adjacent end plate 502m VariousA featuresshown in Figs. 1 and 2 are ias applicable to a motor .as to a pump orcompressor. Thus the number of operating cycles per revolution of therotor 503 is made double Ithat of a compressor as shown in Figs. `3 and4, described below, modifying the shape of the housing; 501 so yas togive a -roughly cloverleafshaped configuration, with tour high pointsand four low points in place cf Ithe two high points 'and two low pointsof' `the elliptical housing shown in subsequent iigures.

The housing, accordingly, .is formed with four lobes shown atk 532:1,53212, 532C and 532d,.respectively. Whereas, however, in a pump-orcompressor .all of these lobes would preferably be equal, it 4will beunderstood that in an internal-combustion engineV alternate lobes, suchas the lobes 532e and 532C, each correspond to the suctioncompressionhalf-cycle while the remaining lobes, such as the lobes-53% a-nd 51320',each correspond -to the explosion-expulsion half-cycle;l prefer toenlarge the latter over the former. by increasing the maxim-um radius ofeach lobe 532b and 532d over that of each lobe 5320 `and 532e, as shown.

The housingfStll. is tilled with a piston fluid 13, e. g. w-ater, whichduring rotationof rotor T503 moves alternately away` -from` ,and Itowardthe rotor yaxis as a result of centrifugal iforces and the shape of theperipheral housing wall; this motion of the piston fluid, in turn,imparts the necessary suction and compression to the aspiratedworkinguid. The piston lluid S13 is contined between slides S07which-are guided at their forward sides merely.

by projections '514, the rear surface of each slide yabutting a solidbacking member `5G53. In operation, the preissurev exerteddur-ing theexplosion stroke .upon the piston fluid 5-113 of a chamber, as thelatter rotates clockwise, say, from the nadir point of ythe housing -tothe high point of the next lobe 532b, acts in opposite tangentialdirections upon the two chamber walls each formed by a backing member533 extended by the associated yslide 507; since, however, the leadingslide :during that par-t of a cycle will project further outwardly thanthe trailing slide, there lwill -be arlarger surface exposed to thispressure forwardly-than rearwardly of the chamber, hence a resultan-ttorce `will come" into play which drives-the rotor forwardly.

Figs. l and 2 also show how the piston tuid, which in this case may also,be a heavy oil or other liquid not combustible at the operatingtemperatures of the motor, is also utilized vfor purposes of lubricationand cooling. The liquid yfrom tank 523 (which may be equipped withcooling appara-tus well known per se) lenters the machine through feederpipe 524 'and vallve S2-8, reach-ing the inlet S32d by way of ranextension pipe 5242 The liquid then enters the :chambers *505, part ofIthe excess returning directly to the tank via drain pipe 525. F[lhecham-bers 505 also communicate, however, with a conduit 534 leading overa valve 543 to shaft bearing 535b in end plate 15 B2b, the liquid thencepass-ing along the .splined portion of shaft `504 toward end p1ate50'2aand shaftybearing '535:1 thereof. At the left-hand side of the rotor 503(as viewed in Fig. 2) the liquid also reaches, via .a :channel S36, anannular pressure chamber 537; at the right-hand side of the rotor itaccumulates yin `an annular chamber 538 whence a drain 'S39 returns itto the tank via la valve 540. =In order that `the Irequired pressure bedeveloped in chamber 537 `i-t is, of course, necessary for the :conduit34 to enter the housing S01 at a suitable angle, e. g. tangentially inthe manner illustrated for the highpressure port leading to pipe 52S. Apressure-equalizing channel l541, interconnecting diametrioally oppositeminimum-radius points of the housing, also communi-I cates with 4t-hetank A52.3 :by way of a safety valve 542.

The piston liquid 513, apart from lubricating and cooling the Imachinethrough the channel system just described,l

also exerts pressure upon the rotor 503, by virtue of its accumulationin chamber 537, in a direction such as to urge this rotor rmly againstIthe valve disk 5211a. This pressure, it may be noted, may be regulatedwith the aid of valves 543 and S40, such pressure regulation beingeither manual or automatic. Valves 528 and 542, as will be observed,have been illustrated as self-adjusting in response to fluid pressurewithin housing 501.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a twoestage compressor 400 whose slides 407 are sospaced as to form alternately wide chambers 40561 and narrow chambers40Sb. Right-hand end plate 402e (as viewed in Fig. 1l) contains a rstinlet duct 40951 which is connected to entrance port 411 andcommunicates, in certain positions, of rotor 401, with the largerchamber 405e by way ot' side apertures 408a; this plate is also providedwith a iirst `outlet duct 410a which is connected to the entrance sideof an interstage coupling duct 430 and communicates, in other positionsof the rotor 403, with the same chambers 405e by way of said apertures408m Lett-hand end plate 402b contains a second inlet duct 40919 whichis connected to the exit side of coupling duct 430 and communicates, incertain positions of the rotor, with the smaller chamber `40511 via saidapertures 40811; this plate is also provided with a second outlet duct410b which is connected to the discharge port 412 and communicates, inother positions of the rotor, with the same chambers 40Sb by way of saidapertures 408b. lt will thus be seen that working fluid, entering by Wayof low-pressure port 411, is tirst compressed in the stage formed bychambers 405e, then passes over duct 430 to the chambers 405i; whosevolume is reduced, with respect to chambers 405e, in accordance with theprecompression already imparted to the fluid land which represents thesecond stage, the output of the latter stage being delivered at thehigh-pressure port 412. Piston Huid .413 is again admitted and removedvia ducts 426 and 427, respectively.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a compressor 600 characterized by n novel arrangementof its inlet and outlet openings. The piston iiuid 613 (e. g. water),coming from tank 623, rises through a pipe 624 (not visible butindicated in dotdash lines) and enters the chambers 60S through an inletopening 643 located close to the chamber bottom in the valve disk 621mway of a peripheral channel 641 and an opening 646 in the housing 601.Admission of the'working tluidV (e. g. air), from an entrance port (notshown), is via a duct The return to the tank takes place by 609 in thehousing and an opening 608 in disk 621a; the duid then leaves by way ofopening 608" in disk 621a and duct 610 in housing 601 to reach theexhaust port 612 after passing through a liquid separator 644communicating with the tank 623 through apertures 645. It will be notedfrom Fig. 5 that the entrance opening 608 widens from a point near theminor axis of the elliptical housing toward a point near the major axisthereof, thereby enabling the rate of working-fluid aspiration toincrease with increases in eective chamber volume due to a receding ofthe piston fluid. A compressor of great suction power is therebycreated.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the inventionoffers the following advantages not particularly pointed outhereinabove:

A pump or compressor may operate 'at a very lhigh volumetric eticiency(theoretically up the by virtue 'of the fact thatthe fluid piston can becaused not only completely lto lill lout the rotor chambers but also topenetrate adjacent channels such as, for example, the valve opening 608"and part of the discharge duct 610 ot Figs. 5 and 6. Such maximumvolumetric eticiency may be attained by admitting sufficient liquid intothe. rotor chambers, yet at the same time it will be apparent that astepless adjustment of the pump output between 100% (full load) andalmost zero (idling) may be obtained through the simple expedient otchanging the 'amount of liquid available inside the housing, thusaltering the height of the uid piston and varying the rate of percentagevariation of the chamber volume with each piston stroke.

The presence of liquid at the interfaces of all relatively movableelements associated with the rotor chambers furthermore provides agas-tight seal at the boundaries of each chamber, thereby substantiallypreventing loss of output due to escaping working fiuid.

ln the case of 'a motor, as shown in Figs. l and 2, it will be possibleto energize any number of piston chatn- Abers I505 with not more thantwo explosion-promoting devices, such as the nozzle 531 'and a similarnozzle, not shown, located at a diametrically opposite point of thehousing. The presence 'of two nozzler (or sparkplugs) isl desirable forbalancing purposes, yet even with a single nozzle lall chambers wouldsuccessively pass by the lsame for ignition of their charges.Furthermore, the fuel injected by the nozzle mixes more intimately withthe air content of the chamber, compared with conventional dieselengines, by virtue of the fact that said Iair moves rapidly past 'thenozzle in a direction perpendicular thereto.

With reference to the two-stage compressor of Figs. 3v

and 4 it may be stated that the two sets of chambers 405a, 40512 neednot be serially interconnected but may be utilized independently, aswhere two 'outputs of diterent gases and! or different pressures arerequired. The same principle, furthermore, is also Iapplicable tointernalcombuston engines of the type shown in Figs. l and 2, one set ofchambers serving for the aspiration and compression, the other for theignition and expulsion of the motive iluid.

various ways without thereby departing from its scope as -delined in theappended claims.

, I claim: k v

l. In a. diesel-type engine, .in combination, a rotor, a housingenclosing said rotor and having a stationary side wall adjacent a faceof saidrotor, said rotorhaving` a chamber-open at said face but closedby said wall, fuelinjector 'means in said-wall positioned for'periodiccom-l munication with said chambena liquid in said housing partlyreceived in said chamber and forming a piston therein, means includingsaid liquid piston for compressing a charge in said chamber immediatelyprior to its passage past said fuel injector means and for ejecting anexploded charge from said chamber, and means including said liquid forurging said rotor into close contact with said wall.

2. In a hydraulic machine, in combination, a rotor, a housing enclosingsaid rotor and having a stationary side wall adjacent a face of saidrotor, said rotor having a chamber open at said face but closed by saidwall, said wall having an inlet port and an outlet port for iluid to beadmitted into said chamber, said ports being positioned for alternatecommunication with said chamber, a liquid in said housing partlyreceived in said chamber and forming a piston therein, means includingsaid liquid piston for alternately aspirating said tluid through saidinlet port and expelling said uid through said outlet port, and meansincluding said liquid for urging said rotor into close contact with saidwall.

3. 1n a hydraulic machine, in combination, a housing, bearing means insaid housing, a rotor journaled in said bearing means within saidhousing, said rotor having a chamber open toward said housing, saidhousing having an inlet port and an outlet port for fluid to be admittedinto said chamber, said ports being positioned for alternatecommunication with said chamber, a liquid in said housing partlyreceived in said chamber and forming a piston therein, means includingsaid liquid piston for alternately aspirating said fluid through saidinlet port and expelling said uid through said outlet port, and conduitmeans in permanent communication with said chamber and with said bearingmeans for admitting part of said liquid to said bearing means, therebylubricating the latter.

4. In a hydraulic machine, in combination, a rotor, a housing enclosingsaid rotor and having a peripheral portion of varying distance from theaxis of said rotor, radially slidable vane means in said rotor dening atleast one chamber in said rotor open toward said peripheral housingportion, stationary valve plate means in said housing in face-to-facecontact with said rotor, said valve plate means having inlet port meansand outlet port means for uid to be admitted into said rotor chamber,said rotor being apertured for communication of said rotor chamber withsaid inlet and outlet port means, respectively, in different angularpositions of said rotor, a pressure chamber located in said housing atone side of said rotor, a duct extending from said pressure chambertoward said peripheral housing portion, thereby connecting said pressurechamber with said rotor chamber, a liquid occupying said pressurechamber, said duct and part of said rotor chamber, said liquid forming apiston in said rotor chamber reciprocating upon rotation of said rotor,thereby alternately aspirating and expelling said iluid through saidinlet and outlet port means, respectively, and means including saidliquid in said pressure chamber for urging said rotor into close contactwith said valve plate means, said duct entering said peripheral housingportion at an acute angle to the path of rotation of said liquid piston.

5. The combination according to claim 4, further including storage meansfor said liquid, an overow connection and a return connection betweensaid storage means and said peripheral housing portion, and valve meansin said connections for regulating the pressure in said pressurechamber.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said peripheral housingportion is symmetrical with respect to the rotor axis, one of saidconnections including a channel opening into said housing portion atdiametrically opposite points for equalizing the pressure thereat.

7. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said housing isprovided with bearing means for said rotor and with a channel connectingsaid bearing means with said pressure chamber, thereby admitting liquidunder pressure to said bearing means for lubricating the latter.

8. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said rotor is providedwith a plurality of sets of interleaved chambers, said inlet and outletport means comprising a plurality of inlet ports and outlet ports eachpositioned for communication with a respective set of chambers.

9. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said inlet port meanscomprises a portion of said Valve plate means having an opening whosewidth increases in the direction in which the spacing of said peripheralhousing portion from said rotor axis increases, thereby causing the rateof aspiration of said fluid to rise with increasing effective volume ofsaid rotor chamber.

10. The combination according to claim 4, including storage means forsaid liquid, feed means connecting said storage means with saidperipheral housing portion, and a connection between said outlet portmeans and said storage means, said connection including liquid separatormeans for returning liquid entrained by said iiuid to said storagemeans.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNrTED STATES PATENTS1,094,919 Nash Apr. 28, 1914 1,206,001 Kuhl NOV. 28, 1916 1,249,881Anglada Dec. 11, 1917 2,052,492 Seibold Allg. 25, 1936 2,164,888 Sassenet al July 4, 1939 2,186,556 Robbins Jan. 9, 1940 2,280,100 SingletonApr. 21, 1942 2,292,181 Tucker Aug. 4, 1942

